Number of inbound tourist arrivals in Russia 2014-2021

In 2021, approximately 7.1 million visits were made by foreign citizens to Russia. The previous year saw a significant decrease in tourist arrivals due to international border closures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Over the observed period, the maximum foreign visitor number in Russia was recorded at nearly 26.9 million in 2015.

Chinese travel behavior in Russia

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, China was the third-leading inbound tourism market visiting Russia, with nearly 1.9 million tourist trips in 2019. Due to travel restrictions, the number of visitors from China decreased drastically to 82 thousand in 2020. Tourism was the main purpose of travel for Chinese visitors in the country, occupying 64 percent of total trips in 2019, followed by employment and business travel. On average, the spending per tourist reached nearly 460 U.S. dollars per trip in 2019.

Is tax-free shopping available in Russia?

The tax-free program was launched in Russia in 2018 and was available in 16 regions of the country as of 2020. Tax-free shopping allows foreign travelers, except for those from CIS countries, to claim a value-added tax (VAT) back on every purchase worth at least 10 thousand Russian rubles made in stores participating in the program. In 2020, the total VAT reimbursement to tax-free shoppers in Russia reached approximately 550 million Russian rubles after the travelers purchased goods worth 5.5 billion Russian rubles in participating stores.